Burn baby, burn

I don't have any special reason for posting this picture, other than I just think my girls are so beautiful!! And red is my favorite color, so seeing my little blue eyed beauties in red just looks so adorable to me. Okay, I'm done gushing.

I got so much done Saturday, despite my rather inauspicious beginnings, and Nate didn't get home until late so I had time to get the whole lawn mowed and all inside done what I intended to do. I was.....(trying to think of the phrase my friend with the super charming southern belle voice used)...done slap wore' out because of it, though. I have to say I am enjoying getting back in touch with muscles that I have been ignoring for years now. Pushing that cantankerous mower around for 2 hours on Saturday was a better workout than I'd had in years, it was awesome. I was rereading my last few posts and can't believe I didn't record the momentous occasion of our acquiring my new best friend...Mr. Treadmill!! It was such an answer to prayer, just what I wanted, for just what I wanted to pay. And I love it. It's a Nordictrack, with a 20" running deck and power incline. And the best feature it has is a little plastic shelf to put my book on! So I get on my running shoes and my glasses and read and walk and run and fun fun fun!! And it has been totally motivating to feel physically "worked out" again, rather than just exhausted from lack of sleep or sore muscled because of carrying too much baby. So I have been trying to do leg lifts and crunches, and of course, get plenty of "sexercise" as well. Quit blushing, you know it burns calories (if you do it right ;). I have been doing better eating healthy, too, cutting out sugar and all. So, after all of this, wouldn't you think I would have lost some weight?? I mean, it's been a month since I have been exercising regularly and eating well. (I know, a month is not a lot of time) And I have gained weight. 2 lbs. I'm not sure how this has happened, but I can tell you, it is really discouraging. And it's not as if I were so low to begin with that any addition of muscle would bulk me up. Oh no. I am 20 lbs over my pre-George pregnancy weight and 11 lbs over my pre-Claire pregnancy weight. And 18 lbs over what I "should" weigh. But, I think my clothes are fitting a little better. If I haven't lost inches, I am at least more aware of my muscles now to hold them in, and be trying to keep my core strong and as tight as a tummy that's been stretched to it's max 4x can get. I still have a healthy layer of "subcutaneous fat" over that core, but at least I feel better now, right? Even if I don't look any better yet. If my goal were weight loss, I'd probabably not be wanting to keep on, but (I have to keep reminding myself) my goal is to get better in touch with my muscles, get in better shape and just be able to keep up with my kids better. If I end up being able to fit into my smaller clothes along the way, that's just icing on the cake (or, like low-fat dip on the cucumber..yeah).